Holiday Tree Arrives At Campus Martius Park

DETROIT (WWJ) – It may be only one day since Halloween, but it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Detroit’s Campus Park.

That’s with the addition of a 55-foot Norway Spruce hailing from Manton, Michigan, along 131 North, just north of Cadillac.

The massive tree weighs more than 10,000 pounds, has a 30-foot span of branches and will be decorated with over 18,000 lights, which is expected to take more than a week to finish.

(WWJ Photo/Pat Sweeting)

Joyce Hayes Giles Chairs the DTE Energy Foundation, sponsor of the 2012 Winter Magic tree. Giles saidf that, for the first time, the tree will be wrapped in thousands of LED lights.

“In fact, there will be 19-thousand of them which will provide about an 80-percent cost-savings over regular lights,” she said. “In addition, Campus Martius park will shine with 142,000 LED twinkle lights on 78 trees.”

A formal Tree Lighting Ceremony is set for Friday, Nov. 16, kicking off the city’s 9th Annual Winter Magic Celebration.

The Tree Lighting festivities begin at 5 p.m., with entertainment, live music, ice-skating shows featuring the Arctic Figure Skating Club and Detroit Skating Club, and other seasonal family activities including the Red Kettle Bounce House, photos with Santa and carriage rides.

Among the confirmed featured performances this year are: Dwayne Brown, Ben Sharkey and his 7-piece band, the MOT Children’s Chorus, Rackham Symphony Choir, Triumph Church Gospel Choir, Michigan Philharmonic Brass Quintet and The Salvation Army Brass Band.